The Humble Bodkin

Posted by Rachel Thomas on August 04, 2015

When I inherited my Grandmothers sewing kit, it was full of the standard sewing tools that we all know and love: Needles, threads on lovely wooden reels, some embroidery scissors and a selection of mending tapes and zips.

Hidden away at the bottom was an old Altoids tin containing some peculiar implements I had never seen before. Among them - the Bodkin.

"Why is this needle blunt, and why does it have a split going right down to the end? This is good for nothing!" I was perplexed, to say the least.

I was too young to appreciate how handy this little tool is. Used for pulling elastic, ribbon or tapes through casings or lace in clothes, it's a sturdy little item, and one of those things design objects that just do their job, but do them very well. It's been around for years, and something that has stood the test of time for that long can't be a mistake.

"Aha!" - I hear you saying, "Why not just save money and use a safety pin?" But Haven't you ever reached half way through the casing and had the safety pin come open and get stuck in the fabrics? Eek, not a situation I want to get into with my pricey boucle wool, or silk satin dress fabric.